Line space lock release mechanism



H. A. FOOTHORA P LINE SPACE LOCK RELEASE MECHANISM Filed April 25. 193;4Shee'ts-Sheet i m 0 m. F. A m fl Oct. 10, 1933.

I IIIII Oct. 10, 1933.

' H. A. FOOTHORAP 1,930,433

LINE SPACE LOCK RELEASE MECHANISM Filed April 25, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2M l I Hill Wfllllflllllflllllllfl" llllll llllllllllll l m "mill" IIIL'II I I I l I I M |1rmu|mmm|" 15 15 28 I 15 25 r i In! 3 24 v b 4.9 51.5. 1 5 3 4g 47 5 2.5 '50. 5% F v 34 1' 1 41, 41 L f O 4. 76 134 g; f! 831mm) 12 2% j 0 I v idly/4.50%!

061510, 1933. H FQOTHORAP 1,930,433

LINE SPACE LOCK RELEASE MECHANISM Filed April 25, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 5Oct. 10, 1933' FOQTHQRAP 1,930,433

LINE SPACE LOCK RELEASE MECHANISM Filed April 25, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Patented Get. 10, 1933:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Elliott-Fisher Company,

Harrisburg, Pa., a

corporation of Delaware Application April 25, 1931.

12 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in line space lock releasemechanism, so called, for writing adding machines of the well-knownElliott- Fisher type.

In my co-pending application Serial No. 135,210 I have disclosed amachine of this type equipped for automatic line spacing, of the linespace frame, through return movement of the carriage, a frame drivemechanism and drive control for moving the frame independently of linespacing, and line space lock release mechanism operative either bymovement of the carriage from left hand marginal position, or byoperation of the drive control, as a condition precedent to independentmovement of the frame by said drive. However, in said co-pendingapplication the line space lock release mechanism is effective underoperation of the drive control mechanism in one marginal position of thecarriage only and includes in effect two separate releasing devices onefor the carriage and one for the drive control.

My present invention is an improvement over the mechanism of myaforesaid application the principal object being to provide a single orunitary line space lock release mechanism which is efiective, underoperation of said control, in different marginal positions of thecarriage, as determined by different marginal requirements, and alsooperative by movement of the carriage from any one of said marginalpositions.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and subordinate objects presentlyappearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and which will now be described in detail,and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of anElliott-Fisher machine equipped according to my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view partly in section and partly in frontelevation taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view parts showing in section;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in front elevation illustrating the partsin the position they assume at the end of a line spacing operation;

Figure 6 is a similar view illustrating operation of the line space lockrelease mechanism;

Figure '7 is a perspective view of co-operating levers-for transmittingmotion from the frame Serial No. 532,810

drive control mechanism to the line lock release mechanism;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a line space lock release draw rod,and rocker arm, and a connecting link between the rocker arm and said 0motion transmitting levers.

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 9-9 of Fig.6.

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig.4;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a line space, lock release cam andcam carriage adjustable along the line space lock release rod;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the same looking at the opposite sidethereof;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary view in front elevation, with parts brokenaway, of the carriage rack and a margin stop adjustable thereon;

Figure 14 is a transverse section taken on the line 1414 ofFig. 13, and

Figure 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of a stop member mounted onthe carriage for cooperation with said margin stop.

Figure 16 is a view in rear elevation illustrating details of the linespace mechanism,

Figure 17 is a detail front elevation of the line lock releasing cam anda coupling hook member illustrating the operation of these parts, and

Figure 18 is a similar view of said cam and member further illustratingtheir operation.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 generally designates a portionof a line space frame of an Elliott-Fisher machine including the rearand end members 1 and 1 which frame is mounted by rollers 2 to travel,longitudinally of 90 a sub-jacent fiat platen 3, upon tracks 4 providedby side members 5 forming part of the platen supporting frame.

As will be understood the line space frame 1 is surmounted by printingmechanism, not shown, of the down strike typewriter class, mounted on acarriage 6 for operation by keys 6 the carriage being supported byrollers as at 7 on the front and rear rails of said frame 1 for letterspacing movement over the platen under control of the usual escapement,not shown, co-operating with the usual carriage feed rack 8 locatedalongside the rear member 1 The carriage 6 is adapted for return todifferent positions, in accordance with different marginal requirementsand as predetermined by a margin stop 9 (Fig. 13) adapted to beset-along the carriage feed rack 8 into different positions and providedwith a suitable detent member, as at 10, actuated by a pivoted detentlock 11 and thumb piece 12 to interlook with the teeth of the rack 8 andthus hold said stop in set position. An adjustable plunger stop 13 (Fig.15) mounted on the carriage 6, and cushioned by a spring 14, engages thestop 9 to bring the carriage to rest.

The line space frame 1 is equipped with line space mechanism (see Figs.1 and 16) shown in greater detail in my Patent No. 1,275,413, datedAugust 13, 1918.

Suffice it to explain that a line space shaft 7 having fast thereon atoothed line space wheel 8 suitably journaled on the line space frame 1to drive the same over the platen 3 by means of gears 9 on said shaftmeshing with racks 10 on the platen supporting frame 5. Freely mountedon the shaft 7 is a dog carrier 11 upon which a line space dog 11 ispivoted as at 11 to be rocked thereon in opposite directions to engageand release the teeth of the wheel 8 Also freely mounted on the shaft 7is a dog rocker 12 operatively connected to the dog 11 as at 12 andmovable forwardly and reversely. As will be understood initial forwardmovement of the rocker 12 engages the dog 11 with the wheel 8 whereuponthe parts become locked together for movement in unison to effect a linespacing operation of the shaft 7 upon continued forward movement of saidrocker. Conversely initial reverse movement of the rocker 12 releasessaid dog 11 and continued reverse movementthereof returns said rocker,carrier, and dog, idly to starting position. Suitably arranged springs13 act to return the dog rocker with a snap action, to starting positionas determined by a variable stop member 14 adjustable by means of screws14. As will be seen the foregoing line space mechanism is adapted at theend of a line spacing operation to lock the frame 1 against movement andis tensioned to snap back to normal unlocking position.

Intermediate the rack 8 and member 1 is a line space draw rod 15,operatively connected at one end to the line space mechanism andsuitably guided at the other end as indicated at 16 for actuation by thecarriage 6. As shown in Figure 16 the operating connections take theform of a rock shaft 15*, mounted on the frame 1 by a bracket 15*, toone end of which the draw rod 15 is connected by a link 15 and safetyconnections in the form of levers 15 15 respectively, connected togetherby a spring 15 for a purpose which will be understood. A crank arm 16fast on the other end of the shaft 15 is connected by a link 16 to oneend of a lever 16 fast on a line space operating shaft 16 mounted as bybracket 16 on the frame 1 for manual operation of the line spacemechanism as will be clear from my aforesaid patent. A link 16 connectsthe other end of the lever 16 with a hub member 12 of the dog rocker 12The line space draw rod is coupled to the carriage 6, as the latternears the end of its return movement for movement therewith sufficientlyto operate the line space mechanism and hold the same in lockedcondition and against retraction.

This coupled relation of the carriage 6 and line space draw rod 15 isestablished by means of a coupling hook member 17 (Figs. 6 and 17)pivoted on the carriage as at 18 for movement into engaging anddisengaging positions, respectively, relative to a couplingblock member19 (Figs. 5 and 6) on the line space draw rod 15. A spring 20 normallyacts to rotate hook 17 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 17,and a pin 21 obstructs such movement in a position in which the hook isadapted to cooperate with block 19. The block member 19 is adapted to beset along the line space draw rod 15 by means of a pivoted detent member22 on said block seating in notches 23 spaced along said rod atintervals to selectively time the coupling, and hence the line spacingoperation, with relation to return of the carriage 6 to differentmarginal positions, it being understood that since operative movement ofthe line space mechanism is limited said block 19 acts also as a marginstop limiting return of the carriage.

The beforementioned frame drive moves the line space frame 1independently in either direction as disclosed in my co-pendingapplication. To this end drive control mechanism is associated therewithhaving the form of a drive control shaft 24 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) endwisemovable on the frame 1 by means of a control bail 25 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4)mounted as at 26 on one side member 5 to rock in opposite directions,respectively, from a central normal position, and connected to the shaft24 by a grooved wheel 27 spanning the bail and fast on said shaft.

Coming now to the line space lock release mechanism. Mounted on verticalrocker arms, as at 28, (Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5) on the rear member 1 is aline space lock release rod 29 longitudinally movable on said rockersalongside the draw rod 15. Adjustable along said release rod 29, in amanner presently explained, is a cam carriage 30 (Figs. 11 and 12)including laterally spaced side members 31 adapted to receivetherebetween the upper edge of the rear member 1 and having rollers 32designed to run upon the upper edge of the member 1 Pivoted as at 33intermediate the side members 31 is an upstanding line space lockrelease cam 34 (Figs. 17 and 18). The line space lock release cam 34 isdesigned for co-operation with the coupling hook member 17 to releasethe line spacemechanism after return of the carriage to its differentmarginal positions either by operation of the control bail 25, in eitherdirection, or by initial forward movement of the carriage 6 frommarginal position.

To this end a pivoted detent 35 (Figs. 11 and 12) is provided on the camcarriage 30 seating in notches 36 spaced along the release rod 29 sothat the cam 34 may be located in advance of an overlying pin 3'7 on thecoupling hook 17 in any selected marginal position of the carriage. Thecam 34 is provided with oppositely inclined edges 38 and 39,respectively, over one of which, 38, the pin 37 wipes as shown in Fig.17 just prior to return of the carriage 6 to a selected marginalposition and whereby said cam is depressed against the urge of asuitable return spring 40 it being understood that the spring 20 is ofsuflicient strength to just overcome the spring 40.

As the pin 37 moves past the cam 34 the latter is raised, as will beunderstood, to assume a position immediately in advance of said pin withits edge 39 presented to the latter. The cam 34 and spring 40 are soconstructed and arranged relative to the member 17 that upon movement ofthe inclined edge 39 against said pin 37, or vice versa, the couplinghook member 17 will be elevated to disengaged position relative to thecoupling block 19. Preferably the relative arrangement of the parts issuch that the force of the pin 37 acting against the face 39, or viceversa, is so directed relative to the axes of the hook member 17 and cam34, respectively, as to insure that its normal effective component mustact in a direction to pass above both these axes whereby a torque isproduced acting to raise said member 17 against the action of its spring20. In Figure 18 the normal position of the hook member 17 and cam 34,at the instant of contact, has been shown in full lines and the positionthese parts assume when the hook member 17 is raised in dotted lines.The dot and dash line aa represents the angle of inclination of the face39 and bb the line of direction in which the normal effective componentacts. Suitable means for limiting upward movement of the cam 34 may beprovided, if desired, in the form of a pin or lug (not shown) on thecarriage 30 above the dog 34, or a suitable connection (not shown)between the front end of the spring 40 and the cams 34 may be utilizedfor the same purpose. It follows that upon initial advance of thecarriage 6 from marginal position the line space lock mechanism will bereleased and conversely movement of the line space lock release rod 29in the opposite direction will accomplish the same result.

In order to so move the line space lock release rod 29, by movement ofthe control bail 25 in either direction, operating connections betweensaid rod and bail are provided as follows. Pivoted adjacent one rockerarm 28 is a pair of superposed bell crank levers 41 and 42 (Figs. 2, 5and '7), respectively, operatively connected so that movement of thelever 41 in opposite directions, respectively, will move the other inone direction only. For this purpose said levers may be connected on oneside of their pivots by a slotted link 43 on the lever 41 receiving apin 44 on the lever 42, whereby movement of the lever 41 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. '7 will move the other 42 in thesame direction, but permit their movement in opposite directions, and apin 45 on the lever 41 engaging an arm 46 on the lever 42 wherebymovement of the lever 41 in the opposite direction will move the lever42 in the same direction as before. A link 47 operatively connects thelever 42 to the said rocker arm 28 and a suitably interposed spring 48connects said lever 42 and rocker arm 28 to yieldingly retain the partsin normal position. Movement of the control bail 25 is correspondinglytransmitted to the lever 41 by means of a forked lever 49 (Figs. 1 and4) pivoted as at 50 to a bracket 51 on the frame 1 and spanning a collar52 on the control-shaft 24 said lever being connected by a draw.rod 53to the lever 41 as at 54.

It is thought thatthe operation of my invention will be clear from theforegoing but it is to be understood that right is herein reserved tosuch modifications thereof as fall fairly within the scope of theappended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a machineof the class described, the combination with a carriage,and line space mechanism operated by movement of the carriage todifferent marginal positions and held locked against retraction by saidcarriage, of line space lock release mechanism operative in saiddifferent marginal positions of the carriage, and both manual andcarriage operated means for operating the lock release mechanism.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a carriagemovable to different marginal positions, a movable frame, a frame driveincluding a control member, and line space mechanism adapted to assume alocked condition,

of line space lock release mechanism operative in said differentpositions of the carriage, and means for operating said lock releasemechanism as an incident to operation of the control member.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a carriage,a line space frame, a frame drive including a drive control member, andline space mechanism operative by movement of the carriage to differentmarginal positions and held locked against retraction, of line lockrelease mechanism operative in said different marginal positions of thecarriage, and means for operating said release mechanism as an incidentto operation of said control member.

4. In a machine of the class described the combination with a line spaceframe, a frame drive including a control member, a carriage movable onthe frame to different marginal positions, line space mechanism, and amember coupling the carriage and line space mechanism, of meansoperative to uncouple the carriage and line space mechanism in any ofsaid marginal positions of the carriage, and operating connectionsbetween the uncoupling means and said control member.

5. In a machine of the class described the combination with a frame, aframe drive including a control member movable in opposite directions,respectively, a carriage movable on the frame to different marginalpositions, line space mechanism, and means coupling the carriage andline space mechanism, of means operative to uncouple the carriage andline space mechanism in any of said marginal positions of the carriageand as an incident to operation of said control member in eitherdirection.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a frame, aframe drive including a control member movable in opposite directions,respectively, a carriage movable on the frame to difierent marginalpositions, line space mechanism, and means coupling the carriage andline space mechanism, of means adapted to be moved in one direction touncouple the carriage and line space mechanism in said marginalpositions of the carriage, and means for moving the uncoupling means insaid one direction by movement of the control member in eitherdirection.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a frame, aframe drive including a control member movable in opposite directions,respectively, a carriage movable on the frame to different marginalpositions, line space mechanism, and means coupling the carriage andline. space mechanism, of means adapted to be moved in one direction touncouple said carriage and mechanism in any of said marginal positionsof. the carriage and to also uncouple said carriage and mechanism uponmovement of the carriage from said marginal positions, and means formoving the uncoupling means in said one direction by movement of thecontrol member in either direction.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a carriage,and line space mechanism, and a member on the carriage coupling to saidmechanism during return movement of the carriage, of means foruncoupling the coupling member and including a cam member movableagainst the coupling member and in the direction of return movement ofthe carriage, and means for moving the cam in said direction including abail movable in opposite directions, respectively.

9. In a machine of the class described the combination with a carriage,and line space mechanism, and a member on the carriage coupling to saidmechanism during return movement of the carriage, of means foruncoupling the coupling member and including, a cam member movableagainst the coupling member and in the direction of return movement ofthe carriage and acting to uncouple said member upon advance of thecarriage, and means for moving said cam member.

10. In a machine of the class described the combination with a linespace frame, a carriage,

line space mechanism, and meansfor coupling said mechanism and carriageduring return movement of the latter, of means for uncoupling saidmechanism and carriage including, a cam carriage adapted to travel onsaid frame, a cam on the cam carriage, and means for moving the camcarriage in the direction of return movement of the first named carriageand including a bail movable in opposite directions, respectively.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a linespace frame, a carriage, line space mechanism, and means for couplingsaid mechanism and carriage during return movement of the latter, ofmeans for uncoupling said carriage and mechanism and including, a camcarriage movable on the frame and provided with a detent member, a rodhaving notches therein receiving said detent, a cam on the cam carriage,a bail movable in opposite directions, respectively, and connectionsbetween the bail and rod for moving the latter endwise in one directionby movement of the bail in either direction.

HARRY A. FOOTHORAP.

